Bostitch has recently announced a new line of brushless cordless nailers.
The new Bostitch nailer lineup will include an 18 ga brad nailer, 16 ga straight finish nailer, 15 ga FN-style angled finish nailer, 28° wire weld framing nailer, and 30° paper tape framing nailer.
Each nailer is powered bu a brushless motor and features tool-free depth adjustment and tool-free selector for switching between sequential and contact (bump fire) actuation modes. The finish nailers have a narrow nose design.
The big claims are that gas-powered nailer users can switch to save money by not having to purchase consumable fuel cells, and that they’ll save time, effort, and money in not having to clean and lubricate the tools.
It’s said that pneumatic nailer users can save up to 20 minutes a day in setup and cleanup times if they switch to using completely battery-powered nailers.
BCN680 18 Ga Brad Nailer
The 18 gauge brad nailer, BCN680, can drive brad nails 5/8″ to 2-1/8″ long, and features the mentioned narrow nose design for more accurate nail placement. The 16 and 15 gauge finish nailers also have a similar narrow nose design.
BCN680D1 Kit MSRP: $299
The brad nailer kit comes with a 2.0Ah battery and charger.
BCN662 16 Gauge Straight Finish Nailer
The new 16 ga straight finish nailer can handle nails 1-1/4″ to 2-1/2″ long.
BCN662D1 Kit MSRP: $399
The kit comes with a 2.0Ah battery and charger.
BCN650 15 Gauge FN Angled Finish Nailer
The new 15 ga angled finish nailer can also handle nails from 1-1/4″ to 2-1/2″ long.
BCN650D1 Kit MSRP: $399
The kit comes with a 2.0Ah battery pack and charger.
BCF28WW 28° Wire Weld Framing Nailer
Bostitch says that this, and the paper tape framing nailer, are:
the first of the new BOSTITCH framing system with battery-operated convenience for large or small jobs including stick framing, sheathing, setting trusses, or fences. They include a 2-speed switch optimized for different fastener lengths and LED indicators for stalls or low battery.
Both can handle nails 2″ to 3-1/2″ in length and 0.113″ to 0.131″ in diameter.
BCF28WWM1 Kit MSRP: $399
BCF28WWB Bare Tool MSRP: $319
The kit comes with a 4.0Ah battery pack and charger.
BCF30PT 30° Paper Tape Framing Nailer
BCF30PTM1 Kit MSRP: $399
BCF30PTB Bare Tool MSRP: $319
The kit comes with a 4.0Ah battery pack and charger.
First Thoughts
Hmm, is it me or do these nailers look a little familiar?
Here’s the new Dewalt 18 gauge brushless brad nailer that recently came out.
Here are the two side by side.
Oh, their model numbers? DCN680 for the Dewalt, BCN680 for the Bostitch.
I asked Bostitch 2 questions:
1. How do these Bostitch nailers differ from Dewalt’s?
They replied with:
These new Bostitch Cordless Nailers utilize a flywheel motor design which drives various nail collations that are found on Bostitch pneumatic nailers today. For example, Bostitch Cordless Nailers offer tools with 28° Wire Weld Framing & 15GA FN Angled Finish collations.
Okay, so Dewalt has recently come out with a 15 ga DA-style nailer DCN650. Bostitch is coming out with an FN-style nailer.
Learn More: Angled Finish Nailers: DA vs. FN Styles
So I guess this makes sense. The Bostitch lineup are parallel to Dewalt’s and seem to offer direct Bostitch-to-Bostitch upgrade paths fro current Bostitch pneumatic nailer users.
I also asked:
2. Is this a new platform, or is it based off of the 18V battery system that was tied to Bostitch’s Walmart-exclusive lineup from a few years ago?
Reply:
This line up of new Bostitch cordless nailers is exclusively powered by the new Bostitch 20V MAX* battery platform.
Alright, so this is a new Bostitch 20V Max battery platform. Or maybe just the batteries are upgrade to higher capacity? But “new” and “battery platform” suggests an entirely new form factor.
Hmm, the battery packs in kits have model numbers BCB203 for the 2.0Ah compact battery, and BCB204 for the 4.0Ah battery. The charger is model BCB115. These are direct translations of Dewalt 20V Max battery platform products – DCB203, DCB204, and DCB115.
I really hope that the battery pack model number similarities indicate cross-platform compatibility, BUT if that were the case, I would expect there to be some mention of this in the press release or marketing materials.
The tools aren’t entirely identical, at least externally, and so we cannot make assumptions about cross-brand battery and tool compatibility. You can be sure that I will ask, but I won’t hold my breath. There are reasons why Stanley Black & Decker might want to maintain distinct and separate battery platforms for their different brands.
Both Dewalt’s DCN680D1 and Bostitch’s BCN680D1 brushless cordless 18 gauge brad nailer kits are priced at $299.
The two nailers have slight external differences. For instance, the Bostitch brad nailer has an extra loop located between the nail magazine and battery, with what looks to be on-board spare non-marring tip storage.
The internals could be very different, but it’s hard to say.
The big question left in my mind is about how the Bostitch and Dewalt tools differ. Is there any difference in performance? Speed? Durability?
With very similar tools at the same price, how to choose between them? If you’re looking for a DA style angled finish nailer vs. an FN style one, the decision is a little easier. But what if you need a brad nailer or 16 gauge straight finish nailer?
Update: Nevermind – like Raoul mentioned in the comments, I too forgot that the Dewalt 16 gauge is an angled finish nailer, not straight, meaning that only the 18 ga brad nailer seems common in both lineups.
At the same price, I would lean heavily towards Dewalt. The Bostitch tools are likely designed and engineered by the same team that designed the Dewalt tools. But unless you need one of the Bostitch-specific nailer styles, why work in a more limited cordless power tool platform? Unless Dewalt and Bostitch tools and batteries are now compatible, but as mentioned I have my doubts.
Are you as confused as I am, or do you see selling points for the Bostitch nailers that I might have missed?
